


The Struggler and the Denier

by MateusCristian



Series: The Breaking of Causality [1]
Category: Berserk (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Everybody Lives, Hopeful Ending, Minor Griffith/Guts (Berserk), Multi, Redemption, Spoilers, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:02:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23494246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MateusCristian/pseuds/MateusCristian
Summary: How does it feel? Being free from the wheel of Causality? Becoming a wild cart in the games of destiny? A fish that tells the waterfall the flow upwards, and see it obey?AU where Griffith says "no".
Relationships: Casca/Guts (Berserk), Griffith/Guts (Berserk)
Series: The Breaking of Causality [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1703428
Comments: 16
Kudos: 40





	1. The Eclipse

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [What If Griffith Had ACTUALLY Done Nothing Wrong (Berserk)](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/578794) by BOOFIRE191. 



‘COME!’

Screamed one of the monsters, in act of adoration, desire and hunger.

‘THEY ARE COMING FOR US!’

‘DECEND!’

‘OUR KINGS OF THE SUPERNATURAL!’

‘THE FOUR GARDIAN ANGELS DESCED!’

The Band of The Hawk, all filled with fear, confusion, despair and shock, watched as one of the hills shaped like faces rose, turning from red to a light pale, and it’s eyes, her eyes, shining with lust and desire, turned to then. It was a nude, giant woman, with tentacle-like blue hair. As this woman reached for her groin, giving a moan of pure pleasure and desire, long black wings came out of her back, covering her body with a wall of darkness.

‘WHA… I’M SURE THAT WAS… A GIANT…?’

Screamed one of the men in the Hawk, in despair and confusion. The red sky, with faces in the place of clouds, start to swirl and turn, until another face came, sending the Band of The Hawk in a state of pure horror. This face was nowhere near as enticing as the woman’s, for he was very round, fat, with a malicious grin, and with shiny black eyes that seem to be able to look into the soul and mind of all that looked at them. The giant face fell down of the sky and shrank, until became barely bigger then Rickert, which was not present, of the slight relief of Pippin. As the men screamed, a part of the floor started to rise again, but this time, the face is very small, resembling a deformed baby, with its eyes shut and its mouth open, without making a sound.

‘One after another… This is a dream… This must be a dream!’

Said Corkus, clearly shocking up by this situation. One of the men screamed, startling him.

‘NOOO! WHAT IS IT NOW!?’

Screamed Corkus, in horror.

‘THAT!’

Pointed the soldier, and they all looked as the last shape started to show. As if made of shadow and darkness, the image of a tall, slender apparition showed himself. His eyes seemed to be sawed shut, his large brain was exposed, his mouth was pulled open by small, sharp hooks. “Angels… No… They’re demons!”, Guts tough to himself, bewildered. The monsters all cheered, in what seemed to be pure joy and longing.

‘Tis a time for blessing, tis a time of celebration. I bid thee all welcome to this time and place.’

Said Void, calmly.

‘O, ye’ lambs who hath created God! Welcome thee hither and partake in the holy festival!’

Void raised his six fingered hand, and pointed at Griffith, who still laid supported by Guts.

‘THE HONORABLE CHILD, CHOSEN BY THE LAW OF CAUSALITY! THE HAWK!’

Said Void, with his voice booming from every which way. Griffith seemed as surprised as the rest of him men.

‘Honorable child…?’

Asked Casca, confused.

‘Law of Causality…?’

Asked Judeau. “What does he mean?”, Guts questioned to himself.

‘You are the chosen one. This time and place was chosen, just for you!

Said Void. Ubik came forward:

‘We are kindred. The blessed kings for which they crave!’.

Griffith remembered something, shadows he saw in his agony in the Tower of Rebirth. The Band was left confused by the God Hand’s words.

‘DON’T FUCKING PLAY WITH ME!’

Screamed Guts, pulling a knife and pointing at the demons. This intrigues the God Hand.

‘YOU DRAG US HERE OUT OF NOWHERE INTO THIS HELLISH SHITHOLE, AND START SHITTING OUT NOWSENSE!? “HONORABLE CHILD”? “KINDRED”? CUT THE BULLSHIT! I SAW HIM NAKED BEFORE, AND HE DOESNT EVEN HAVE A TAIL! HE’S NOTHING LIKE YOU MONSTERS!’

Shouted Guts, holding Griffith close to him. Slan licked her lips and started foundling her voluptuous breasts in pleasure:

‘Such a beautiful friendship! You’ll make a precious sacrifice!’

Slan said, touching herself.

‘From the moment that the scarlet Beherit, the Egg of The King, came into your hands, you have being qualified to become a demon king.’

Said Ubik, floating upside down.

‘No, let me rephrase myself, the Egg of The King fell into your hands because you were blessed. You summoned us with the Beherit, proving that we are kindred. All gathered here came into power, summoned by the Beherit.’

Guts understood what Ubik said. All the monsters around then were like Zodd and Wyald, all came to be through a Beherit.

‘But that is no ordinary Beherit! The Egg of The King can only be used by those who are to join us, The God Hand.’

Griffith looked at the bloody Beherit. Suddenly, so many things that happened in his life made sense, as if his eyes were opened. To him, the Beherit’s screams were the call of destiny. His destiny.

‘You are all the sacrifice for the angels decent!’

Said Slan, still masturbating, her body shivering in anticipation. Fear swooped the Band of The Hawk. The monsters salivated, clapped, grit they teeth, and smiled, just waiting for the feast.

‘NEVER! THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN!’

Screamed Guts, in rage.

‘Everything is within the flows of Causality! All of your lives were woven for this moment, into The Eclipse. So we shall hold the Invocation of Doom.’

Said Void, calmy. Conrad opened his small arms:

‘HONORABLE CHILD! RISE TO THE ALTAR!’

He said, the floor started rumbling, and suddenly, Guts and Griffith are lifted by a part of the floor, forming a giant hand.

‘GUTS! GRIFFITH!’

Called Casca, fearing for her leader and her love. Guts grabs onto the giant hand with one arm, and holds Griffith firmly with the other. They continue going up, when Guts slip, holding on to Griffith, who grunts in pain as his arm start to tear. As the hand continues to grow, Guts slips, and only manage to stop his fall with his knife, cutting into the contorted faces. Guts start to climb with all he had. “I failed him…” Guts thought, “…I’m not going to fail him again! Hold on Griffith, I’ll save you!”.

‘INVOCATION OF DOOM! INVOCATION OF DOOM! INVOCATION OF DOOM!’

The monsters chanted, drawing closer to the Band of The Hawk. Griffith was on his knees, being looked down by the God Hand.

‘Are you freighted? Can you even fill such a thing? Do you fear higher beings such as us? You do you fear to tread the future?’

Asked Void. Ubik approached Griffith:

‘Before we talk about the future, let’s look into the past. Just so that you know what type of person you truly are!’

Griffith looked at Ubik’s eyes, those eyes that could see through his mangled body, see the young, silver haired street urchin playing around the streets of his past.

‘This is not an illusion! This is the reality of you conscious world. This truth is within your realization!’

With those words, the small child stopped.

‘Where’s everybody? They said we’d see the castle today… Ah, all just go by myself then!’

Said the small child to himself. He continued to walk around the streets, looking around, wondering if he was lost, until he ran across an old lady woven a long tread on a spinning wheel.

‘Excuse me, ma’am, you know the way to the castle?’

Asked the small Griffith. The lady pointed and said:

‘Oh yeah, your friends went ahead, they are waiting for you!’

The small Griffith nodded in gratitude and bolted down the streets. Then he stopped, all went dark. He called, no one answered. He walked, he got nowhere. He slipped, and faced a long dead and rotting corpse. He faced two bodies, ten bodies, a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand; the more he looked with his face soaked in blood and horror, the more corpses he saw, a pile going up, like a stair, a stair out of the darkness, into the castle on the hill.

‘Hush, child, what is this raucous about?’

‘Ma’am… This is horrible… They are all dead!’

Said the small Griffith terrorized. The old lady from the spinning wheel nodded:

‘I know. I always did.’

Griffith got up in shock:

‘THIS IS AWLFUL! YOU KNEW AND LIED TO ME!’

The old lady approached:

‘I never lied! This is the only way to the castle. There is no other way. The only way to get to the castle in the hill, is to crush all these people. If you don’t, you may join then! Look around, these are your friends.’

The small Griffith did as the old lady said, looking around, seeming a large man with strong features torn in half, one blonde young man with two stab wounds in his chest, the headless body of a man in armor, the mangled body of a man with long black hair, the naked body of a woman with short black hair and dark complexion, with her legs spread and sore, and without a spec of light in her eyes, like a mad woman, and at the top of the pile, the final step into the castle, a muscular man with short black hair with a white streak, missing his right eye and left arm, with an expression of pure hatred in his dead, frozen face. Griffith continued to look around, fearing what other horrible visions would come, when he came face the face with a small boy, holding a toy soldier.

‘Y… you…’

Said the small Griffith faintly, in disbelief.

‘Are you going to take that castle and become king? Amazing! I want to become a knight…’

The boy gave the toy soldier to Griffith.

‘Can you take me with you? After all, I’ll serve you after I become a knight! I swear I’ll do my best!’

Griffith looked at the toy, not knowing how to answer.

‘I… I can’t… I can’t take you with me… You are dead.’

Said Griffith, seeming the crossbow bolt in the boy’s chest.

‘No… Don’t let our sacrifice be for nothing, Griffith….’

Said the torned body of Pippin, even though his mouth did not move.

‘We carried your banner, fought, killed and died for you…’

Said the body of Gaston, despite having no head.

‘We still struggle for that castle…’

Said the mangled body of Corkus, even with most of his body being ripped beyond recognition.

‘We swarmed an oath to you…’

Said the body of Judeau, dispite his lungs being run through.

‘We wish to build your country, Griffith…’

Said the violated body of Casca, even though her eyes showed that her mind was too broken for her to understand her own words.

‘Please Griffith… Takes us with you…’

Said the mutilated body of Guts, while keeping the face of pure hatred and rage.

‘No… I can’t… I CAN’T TAKE YOU!

Screamed Griffith, as the guilt and regret took hold of him. Suddenly, this goal that was his hope, became his burden, a vision of suffering.

‘You made it so far… Are you going to give up now? Are you going to live in the ruins of your dreams? Pile those corpses… This is the person you truly are!’

‘NO!’


	2. Who am I?

That shout snap Griffith out of the trance. The constant aches and stings in his crippled body never felt so reassuring.

‘I’M SICK AND TIRED OF THIS BULLSHIT!’

Screamed Guts, hoisting himself up into the palm of the giant hand, running towards Griffith, and supporting him in his shoulder.

‘I see what you motherfuckers are doing! Trying to manipulate him in his despair! Well, I see through your bullshit, and if you want him, I’ll have to be dead first!’

Said Guts, pointing his knife at Void, who seeming intrigued by the situation.

‘Oh, the fire! So enticing! Like the fires of the torture room you left your brother in because you could not stand being looked down by him! Hehe…’

Said Slan, biting her lip, pinching her nipples.

‘As I get it, bitch, you fuckers are the ones who caused that, for this “Law of Causality” bullshit! So I blame you for what happened as much as I blame myself!’

Said Guts, agony in his words. Griffith looked at Guts, and in his eyes, he could see Guts thoughts, anger, desperation, regret, compassion, kinsmanship. ‘Is the offer worth the price…? Worth… him?’ Griffith thought to himself, and the God Hand heard it.

‘The sacrifice must be made, Griffith! It’s the only way to achieve your dreams. Do you think they will follow a crippled mute? A bird without wings nor a beak? Do you think he will waste his time with a shell of a person, when the love of his life, a chance for him to the place where he belongs, is just around the corner? She doesn’t need you anymore either. Why would she waste her time for a has-been that never cared for her, when someone devoted is just by her? What will they do?’

Said Ubik, grinning. Guts, angered, pointed his knife at him:

‘I’ll tell you what Casca and I are going to do, floating ball sack! We’re going to every corner of the world, face all we have to face, Midland, Kushan, Tudor, you, your pet demons down this tower, and we’ll have Griffith back!’.

Griffith could not help but to shed one single tear after hearing Guts words. All the best moments of his life, his golden age, all had Guts in it. Slan moans in excitement, Ubik looked at Guts in intrigue, Void and Conrad merely turned their faces at the man. “Could he do it? Would he actually go out of his way do it?”, Griffith pondered.

‘The feast must commence, Griffith! Make the sacrifice and ascend into your rightful position as Femto, the King of Ambition. If the castle on the hill is the most radiant thing in your eyes, continue to build the latter, use all you have left. Make the single chant, “I offer”….

Said Void, camly. He opened his long, six digit hand, showing a strange symbol:

‘…And you’ll have wings of jet black. With then, you shall rise to the heavens. Accept who you are, or live in the ruins of your dream.’

‘NO! THIS IS NOT WHO YOU TRULY ARE, GRIFFITH! REMEMBER ALL YOU DID FOR US! WHAT WE MEAN TO YOU!’

Shouted Guts. “Accept who I am… What they mean to me…” Griffith thought.

“Accept who I am… Who am I? Can I do this? Simply allow all of them to die, use their bodies as a latter for my dreams? Condemn my men to such an end? All these people that trusted me with their lives, who hope that I make a kingdom where they can follow their goals, a bonfire for their dreams…. This could be my only chance, and I’ve come so far, struggled for so long… Death is death. In the hands of an enemy army or as a sacrifice for my ascension into godhood, what’s the difference…? The difference is that in here, they’ll be forgotten, no more important and a piece of steak, in a battlefield, they will be remembered as the heroes they were…. Who am I? If I do this, could I ever face myself again? If I say “no”, I’ll be condemned, doomed to a life of pain, agony, despair, unable to fulfill my dream… If I say “yes”, I’ll be damned, I’ll become a monster, born from the blood of those who devoted their lives for me, and with their final breaths, they’ll curse and renounce my name… Who am I? Can I betray my friend, my equal… My… Brother...? He betrayed me, left me to rot! I was so close to finally finishing it, and because of him, I lost everything! Even my dream… And now, he stands between me and gods with a small knife, ready to die for my sake… As he did before, against Zodd, the King’s men, Bakiraka… Wyld… As I would do for him… I forgot my dream because of him… Because he is more valuable than a castle in the hill! If they want me to accept this offer, they’ll have to offer me a lot more than promises of a kingdom... Who… Am… I…? Who am I…? Who am I? I’m Griffith the White Hawk, the founder and leader of the Band of the Hawk! You four are listening, aren’t you? So here’s my answer: I’ll stay with my brother to the end, as he stood with me! I’ll not join you! I refuse the offer! I DENY IT!”

The God Hand indeed listened the entire struggle within Griffith’s mind, and they all were left shocked with the words “I deny it”. Causality demanded Griffith to join then, but it was clear he would not. The fifth king was not to come.

‘Is this your final word, Griffith?’

Said Void, firmly. Griffith looked at the main God Hand, and his answer was clear. Guts was confused, not knowing what happened.

‘So be it…’

He raised his long hands. Fire started crackling in between then, forming the symbol from before.

‘… The time has come… may the feast COMMENCE.’

The symbol exploded, hitting Griffith in the forehead, pushing him backwards with a loud metallic bang, leaving the symbol branded where it hit.

‘GRIFFITH!’

Screamed Guts, jumping towards his friend, stopping him from falling, when he is also hit by a symbol on the back of his neck, and the two of them fall from the altar, Guts grabbing onto Griffith, and driving his knife against the wall to break their fall, until the knife broke in two half way down, and the two fell into the ground.


	3. Broken Wheel

‘GRIFFITH! GUTS!’

Shouted out Casca, seeming her leader and lover hit the floor with a loud “thud”, fearing for the worse.

‘I GOT THEN!’

Screamed Pippin, dragging the duo towards the rest of the group, keeping the monsters at bay. Guts slowly got back into, getting up fast.

‘LISTEN UP, EVERYONE! WE HAVE GRIFFITH! WE MUST DEFEND HIM AT ALL COSTS! ALL TOGHETER, WATCHING EACH OTHERS BLIND SPOTS! WE’LL FIND A WAY OUT OF THIS! GUTS, GET GRIFFITH IN A HORSE!’

Screamed Casca, throwing a sword at Guts. Guts lifted Griffith, and ran to one of the horses, as the man on it went to the ground, and was immediately grabbed and torn in two by one of the monsters. Guts could only watch in horror, as a wave of pure death fell upon then. The monsters started to attack, killing dozens with a single charge. The Hawk kept fighting with all they had.

‘KEEP THE LINE! FALL BACK! GUTS, JUDEAU, FIND AN OPENING FOR RETREAT! WE GOTTA KEEP THESE FUCKERS FROM SURROUNDING US!’

Screamed Casca, keeping a long, thin, dog like monster at bay with Pippin and other 7 men. Judeau gets on a horse, Guts mount the horse Griffith was in, and the two of then make their way through the rest of the men, looking for a position where they could not be taken by a flank, when they see one man far behind, running for his life, bleeding from his back.

‘CORKUS, YOU FUCKING COWARD! COME BACK HERE!’

Screamed Guts, in disgust over seeming one of Griffith’s most devoted companions quit the battle durant the Hawk’s darkest hour.

‘BACK HERE! FALL BACK!’

Shouted Judeau, but as they turned, the numbers had fallen dramatically, just over a hundred, and those alive kept falling, and to make matters worse, to Guts terror, Casca disappeared.

‘Ca… Captain…’

Said a raspy, agonizing voice. They looked, and saw Gaston, missing an arm, and bleeding profoundly from many cuts throughout his body. Guts jumped out of his horse, grabbing Gaston as he collapsed.

‘Gaston! You’re still alive…’

Said Guts, in a mix of relief and worry. Gaston shook his head.

‘Hehe… Not for long, I guess. I don’t feel that much alive…’

Said Gaston, in between raspy wheezes and grunts. Griffith remembered seeming the death of Gaston is his visions, and stumbled from his horse. Judeau also came from his horse, and helped Griffith reach Guts and Gaston.

‘Griffith… This feels like… A dream… A nightmare, isn’t it?’ Captain… I…’

Said Gaston, starting to spit blood. Griffith tries to stop the bleeding from Gaston’s chest, to no avail.

‘Don’t speak, Gaston! Where’s my medicine…?’

Said Judeau, looking through his pouches.

‘Commander Griffith… You always felt so different from us… A man out of legend… A crazy story someone wrote… I guess I’m just I minor character in that story… I can still see that man, behind those ey…’

And Griffith never heard the end of that sentence. Gaston gaged, grunt, and suddenly, his head exploded, revealing a hideous, worm-like creature inside Gaston, quickly slithered his way into the gore and blood surrounding then. Griffith was distraught, his vision has being fulfilled. His distress soon gave way to rage, he grabbed the small dagger from Gaston’s body, and with all little force he still had, dispite not being able to grasp the knife well enough to create power in it, he started stabbing at the floor, hoping to hit the creature that kept slithering and snapping at then, until he manage to pin him down by the tail. But the creature kept attacking, dodging Guts and Judeau’s attacks, but then, a large war hammer fell down on it, killing the creature.

‘Pippin… Casca…!’

Said Judeau, breathing heavily. Both Pippin and Casca showed clear signs that they barely survived the ordeal they were in. Pippin had a huge scar thought his face, his armor was mostly broken, cuts and punctures throughout his body. Casca was nude; just a few pieces of armor and clothes remained. Her body had many cuts, jagged bite marks and scratches. They both were as exhausted as the rest of the group.

‘Casca…’

Guts ran towards Casca and Pippin, when from the darkness, a beast jumped at him, cutting his chest. The beast turned to Griffith, cutting his left hand with its claws.

‘GRIFFITH!’

Screamed Guts, running back at Griffith, and kicking the monster. The beast jumped back into, and out of the darkness, biting off Guts left forearm with ease. He dropped to the floor, blood gushing from the stump.

‘GUTS!’

Screaming Casca, limping quickly toward the fallen Guts. The monster attacked again, a large, blade-like object coming out of its tail. Guts saw that, and shoved Casca to the floor, taking the blade to his right eye, blinding him. Griffith drew closer to Guts, seeming him contorting in pain, his face showed pure hatred, just like his vision. “It was all for nothing…”, Griffith thought, trying to stop the bleeding from his hand.

‘Stop!’

Said a voice. The monsters stepped back from the five survivors, all with pieces and parts of the other Hawks in their teeth, like Corkus, whose head was visible on the mouth of a horrendous creature. Ubik came down from the altar, confronting Griffith once again:

‘Now that we gave you a minute to reconsider your choses, to realize that there is no defying Causality, will you take the offer, or will you, and your dreams, find their burial here?’

Said Ubik, grinning. Griffith shook his head, panic and horror in his mind.

‘I see the past did not sway you… So let me give you a look into your future…’

Griffith looked into Ubik’s eyes once again, but this time, he saw himself as he was. And nothing more. Just him in one dark room.

_It’s just within our reach…_

A voice said. This voice seemed at the same time familiar and alien to Griffith.

_It’s just so close… Just reach a little farther… it will all be worth it…_

Said the voice again, but this time, the voice was just behind Griffith, extending his black hand over Griffith’s shoulder. Griffith turned, and he saw it. The being was all black, apart from a few very pale features. His head seemed like a helmet, his helmet. His black wings covered his strong, imposing body. His eyes were at the same time lifeless, and filled with spite, jealousy, greed, want.

‘You are… Femto…’

Said Griffith, despite not moving his mouth.

‘I’m the embodiment of your dream. I’m the body and soul you’ll use to climb the latter to the castle. I am Femto, the King of Ambition, I’ m Griffith, the Hawk of Light. Just two words, just four more bodies, four more steps. It is all we need to sacrifice.’

Femto said, holding Griffith’s face.

‘No…’

Said Griffith meekly, frantically shaking his head.

‘It’s our only chance. What else do you have to use? You can’t even whore yourself anymore.’

Said Femto, in a sarcastic tone. Femto lifted Griffith’s chin delicacy:

‘Look…’

Griffith blinked, and Femto changed his form. He looked like Griffith did before, but there was something else. Something majestic. The aura of a man that could not be touched.

‘This is what they are offering us. Not the kingdom of our dreams, but rather, the kingdom that make our wildest dreams seem tame.’

Femto showed Griffith the kingdom that would be his. A beautiful, majestic place, where life grows and blossoms. Perfection made reality. Griffith reconsidered his options. Maybe it _was_ worth it. Maybe, through their blood, he could make a kingdom worthy of their sacrifice, and make sure they are not forgotten in this kingdom. But then he remembered the one thing, the one person, he still had left…

‘He betrayed you! He took everything from you… Take everything from him. Take _her_ from him. Remind then both who they belong to!’

Said Femto, returning to his real form, holding Griffith’s withered hand, and Griffith saw what Femto would do to Casca and Guts if he said “yes”.

‘NO! NOT TO HIM! NEVER! I’LL NEVER BECOME YOU, FEMTO!’

Screamed Griffith, enraged and disgusted.

‘You ARE me already! You want it. You want _him_. Leave this mark on their souls, and neither will forget their place again.’

Said Femto. Griffith remembered how he forced himself on Casca, an act that, before, seemed within his rights, now he saw at as the worse thing he ever done. Guilt, remorse, and disgust moved his words:

‘I’d rather die…’

‘As you wish, then…’

Said Ubik, taking Griffith out of the illusion.

‘Such a shame… You had potential, Griffith. May the feast be finished!’

Said Ubik, as a sign for the monsters to kill the last five. But they survived.

_CRACK!_

A loud shattering sound made everyone look at the eclipse.

_CRACK! CRASH! THUMP!_

The sounds on the eclipse grew louder and louder, until it blasted open completely. From the blast, the light in the darkness, a large, skeleton-like being came, on an armored, skeleton horse. He drew his sword and broad it down on Void, but as he did, a window opened in front of Void, another one behind him, his sword came out of it, but he block it with a shield. He looked down, and saw the five survivors, the strugglers, on the ground, and bolted towards then, cutting through every single monster on his way.

‘Put your master and companion in the back!’

Said the Skull Knight. Pippin rushed towards Guts and Griffith, laid then both at the back of the horse, and sat there as well. The Skull Knight reached his hand, hoisting Casca and Judeau up in front of him, and with one crack of the reins, the skeleton horse ran and ran, up the altar it went. The Skull Knight drew his sword again, charging towards Void, he swigged at him, and other window opened, but this time, to the Skull Knight and Void’s surprise, the back of the blade connect with Void’s hand, cutting off the index finger of his left hand. The Skull Knight was satisfied with what he saw, and pulled his horse towards the light, escaping the darkness.

‘Impossible… He no longer exists in the streams of Causality… Griffith… Broke Causality…’

Said Ubik, shocked.

‘It’s impossible to anticipate everything, but this… Griffith told the river to change, and it did… This could be a threat to the will of God… The Hawk must die.’

Said Slan, sounding somewhat shaken by the result of the situation.

‘So it would seem. As long as Griffith is neither among us, nor among the dead, he is something that cannot account for, nor ignored.’

Said Void, looking at the wound that never should have occurred, sounding displeased by what happened.


	4. Branded Ones

The Tornado roared and blew, lighting crackled, Nosferatu Zodd grunted and snarled as he put his lost arm back in place.

‘Amazing… To think someone was able to match… No, to surpass Zodd…’

Though Rickert, hidden behind a rock, when his line of though was cut by the cracks in the tornado, the Skull knight jumped out of the tornado, stopping in front of the small boy.

‘RICKERT!’

Shouted Pippin, jumping from the horse.

‘Pippin!? What happened!?’

Asked Rickert, somewhat confused by the whole event. The Skull Knight stared at the other survivor of the Band of The Hawk, at the bag with him.

‘Your master and companion are dying! See to their wounds!’

Said The Skull Knight, handing the unconscious Guts and Griffith to Pippin and Rickert with one arm, and helping Casca and Judeau get down his large horse with the other.

‘HURRY!’

Shouted the Skull Knight, sharply, startling the other four.

‘You though that settles anything?’

Asked Nosferatu Zodd, suddenly showing himself behind Skull Knight. Casca, Pippin and Judeau grabbed their weapons, pointing then at Zodd.

‘I’ll deal with this. Focus on then. Of course it doesn’t. But I wish to continue some other time, Zodd.’

Said the Skull Knight, nonchalantly. Zodd raise his brow:

‘What? What are you tal…’

And then he saw it. The brand on Casca’s chest, on Pippin’s right forearm, on Judeau’s left hand, and on Guts neck, all starting to bleed. But what intrigues him the most, one man facing down, wrapped in bandages. “It can’t be him…” Zodd tough as he approached the group.

‘BACK OFF! WE’VE LOST ENOUGH!’

Screamed Casca, standing in front of Guts and Griffith, sword pointing at Zodd’s eyes, her eyes red and filled with tears.

‘Let him reach then. He means no harm, I assure you.’

Said The Skull Knight, lowering Casca’s sword arm. Zodd turns Griffith, and after a quick startle of shock and surprise, he started laughing out loud in disbelief.

‘INCREDIBLE… HE SAID “NO”… AND ALL OF YOU SURVIVED!’

Said Zodd loudly, unable to contain his amazement over the situation.

‘No… Not “all of us”… just us five…’

Said Judeau, closing the wound on Griffith’s neck, as the reality of the situation dawns on him. They all realized that it was over. The Hawk was no more.

‘Still more than what should had been, Branded.’

Said Zodd, amused. The giant beast stepped back:

‘Very well, we’ll finish this later, my worthy rival, as courtesy for their luck… No, let me rephrase that, their extreme _bad_ luck! But this doesn’t decide the outcome of our battle. Now go! The gate is about to fall, and when it does, the other apostles are going to be pouring out.’

‘Finished with then?’

Asked the Skull Knight. Casca finishes spreading the dust on Guts and Griffith’s stumps:

‘I think so… They aren’t bleeding…’

She says exhausted anxious. The Skull Knight takes the two with one arm, and lays then on his horse, going up himself quickly.

‘Will you come?’

Asked the Skull Knight.

‘Do you need to ask? We’ll not leaving then!’

Said Rickert. The Skull Knight reached, bringing up Pippin, Judeau, Casca, and carrying the small Rickert on his arm. A crack of the reins, and the skeleton horse charges as fast as wind, away from the black whirlwind.

‘WHAT ABOUT THE OTHERS?’

Shouted Rickert, hearing the strong winds going around him.

‘All gone, child. No one is left.’

Said the Skull Knight. Watching then as they left was Nosferatu Zodd:

“He said no… They survived The Eclipse… Interesting… Show me how you struggle in the world of darkness, this wildness of death before you, Branded Ones. I look forward to see you both again, Branded Swordsman, Denier.”


	5. Confrontation

It was all dark. Guts could not see a thing.

‘Guts.… Guts… GUTS…!’

Guts heard Griffith calling. It was all dark. Griffith could not see a thing.

‘Griffith… Griffith… GRIFFITH…!’

Griffith heard Guts calling. They followed each other’s voices. Their stumbled upon each other, though they could not see a thing.

‘You’ve doomed us both!’

Said another voice. A voice filled with rage.

‘WHO’S THERE! SHOW YOURSELF! GRIFFITH!’

Screamed Guts. Griffith knew very well who it was.

‘Don’t worry, Guts. We’ve won! He can’t do anything. I’ve doomed you, Femto. I doomed you into being nothing but a face in the mirror, a voice in my mind of a life that never came.’

Said Griffith, sternly. Guts remembered the name “Femto”, from the words of Void.

‘I’m what you face when you face in the mirror! As long as you live, I’ll still be here!’

Said Femto, his voice seemed calm, if a bit egocentric to Guts, but Griffith knew Femto’s words were filled with hatred and spite.

‘You think he’ll stay with you forever? When his dreams are within his reach, and unlike you, he can actually fulfill then?’

Said Femto, his red, snake-like eyes shining in the darkness.

‘Again with this bullshit? I told you demons before! I’ll stay with him, find a way to heal Griffith, whatever it takes!’

Said Guts, angered with being questioned again.

‘You say that now…’

Said Femto, revealing himself to the two of them. Guts tried to reach for something, but he was completely unarmed.

‘But will you really? You left us because you wanted to hunt down your dream. Once you have it, would you turn your back on it for our sake?’

Asked Femto. Griffith understood what Femto was trying to do, create doubt in his mind. Guts conviction was firm:

‘I don’t need to! I already have what I want, a battle of my own, and this battle is on the way to Griffith’s cure!’

Said Guts, firmly. Femto smirked, like a man taking a full house of ace from his sleeve:

‘Answer me this, then: when the time comes, when you have to choose between the broken bird or the bitch and her pup, what will you choose?’

‘WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU CALLING A BITC…’

Screamed Guts, and it dawned on him.

‘…Pup?’

They said in unison, shocked.

‘She figured quickly, and hid it well. Not letting you see as she ate twice her fill to feed the parasite, vomiting in the bushes when no one was looking. That’s the reason she wanted you to go, Guts. Because she knows that as she gets fat with your child, she’ll have to choose between you two. What will it be then?’

Asked Femto, looking Guts in the eye.

‘If it comes to the moment that he has to abandon me again… I’ll just end it for us both…’

Said Griffith, distraught over the chance of that happening. The fires, the cracks of the whip, the damp smell of the torture chamber flashing through his mind.

‘No, Griffi…’

Said Guts when Griffith cut him off:

‘Guts, let’s be real: If you had to choose, you’ll choose Casca and your child, as anyone would. But it changes nothing. If I have regrets over not taking the chance, I’ll have to live with then, but I assure you, Femto, my mind will be your prison forever!’

‘Pretend as much as you like, you know what you truly are! You’ll give in eventually, as you always did! I just need to wait, rest in the darkness of your soul, and soon, not even Guts will be able to tell apart Griffith from Femto.’

Said Femto, proudly.

‘You and I will be long dead before that happens!’

Said Griffith, feebly grabbing Femto by the throat. Femto holds Griffith by the chin with ease:

‘No, not I! Not our dream! Only you, Griffith! Only this humanity, holding us back! You’ll give way, and I’ll fulfill what you couldn’t!’

‘Damn you Femto! Leave me be!’

Said Griffith, struggling to be freed of the embodiment of his evil. Guts jumped at the two. Femto just smiled:

‘Look into my eyes, you’ll see yourself! You know the truth, I am Griffith, you are Femto!’

‘NO! NEVER!’

Shouting Guts, trying to pull his brother out of the demon’s grasp.

‘Yes! Forever!’

Said Femto, letting go of his weaken self.

‘It’s over, Femto! You’ve lost! Take all the evil within you, within me, and rot in hell!’

Said Griffith, sternly.

‘We are waiting you there, Griffith!’

Said Femto, the silhouette of the other God Hand behind him, his eyes shone in the darkness, his black lips gave a satisfied grin. Griffith remembered the same grin in his face, when he heard of Count Julius and his son’s deaths, remembered what he would do to his friend, had him become Femto, a sudden realization of how cruel he could be. A realization that filled him with remorse and anger:

‘NEVER!’

Griffith screamed, the voice echoing in his mind. All went black.


	6. Lost in The Darkness

The water slowly moved the cave. The birds chirping echoed through the openings, the cracklings of the small fire pit warmed the air, the last specs of sun light shined in Guts and Griffith’s faces, awaking then both.

‘Oh… thaNK GOD! GUYS! GUTS AND GRIFFITH HAVE WOKEN UP! THEY ARE ALIVE!’

Screamed Rickert, joyfully. Guts got up and squinted with the flashes of light and the silhouettes of Judeau, Pippin, Casca, Erica, Rickert and Godo the Blacksmith running around the blurry vision of his one eye. Griffith got up as well, looking around the place. It was a rather large cave, with many tunnels, corridors and openings going everyway.

‘Guts… You’re…’

Said a female voice, among stutters and hiccups. Casca approached Guts, her eyes shining with tears of joy, caressing the eye Guts lost protecting her:

‘Another wound you take for me… I tough I’ve los…’

Guts was too impatient to hear Casca words of relief, he just grabbed by the back of the head, and kissed her, while caressing her head, feeling the warmth of her body in his chest. A tear rolled from his good eye, a smile of relief and joy lit in his face. Griffith looked at his brother’s happiness, as the day ended, dark clouds bringing lighting and wind, the jealousy and sense of betrayal that he once felt over this gave way to compassion.

‘How does it feel?’

Asked a deep voice. Everyone looked at the entrance, as the shiny, red eyes of the Skull Knight shone in the dim light of the cave.

‘You again…’

Said Judeau, sitting down.

‘How does it feel, Denier? Being free from the wheel of Causality? Becoming a wild card in the games of destiny? A fish that tells the waterfall to flow upwards, and seeing it obey?’

Said The Skull Knight, looking Griffith in the eyes.

‘Oh for fuck sake, is explaining things a disease to you demons?’

Said Guts, having enough of the Skull Knight’s cryptic words.

‘I’m not among then, Struggler. I’m an enemy of the inhumans, just as you are.’

Said the Skull Knight. As he said that, all five survivors felt a sharp, stinging feel coming to then.

‘What is this…?’

Said Rickert, seeing a red stain appearing on Casca’s shirt. The brands started to bleed, as the rain roared outside.

‘They’ve found you. The spirits of the dead. They are drawn by the life you still have! Come, Branded Ones, see it.’

Said the Skull Knight, pointing outside. Guts got out of bed, poked his head out of the cave, and saw what he was talking about.

‘Sacrifice… Sacrifice… Life… Blood… Give me life…’

Hissing, crackling, grinding and hungering, faceless ghouls, ethereal creatures, eyes as red as the sky of The Eclipse. The other four, Griffith with the help of Pippin, went into the entrance as well, and saw the apparitions.

‘Heed to this, Branded Ones, for this is your world now. The border between the living and the dead. The astral and the physical. The Interstice. These are the spirits of the dead that roam this place. They are drawn by the Brand of Sacrifice. They cling to life, crave for the warmth of flesh and blood.’

They watched, as the spirits roamed, snarled, cracked and swirled. It felt like the Eclipse to the Branded Ones, a calling of death. Except Griffith. To him, it felt like a call for a new life. The darkness seemed extremely enticing, show flashes of what seemed pure grandeur to him. Something that he was meant to. He reached his hand out, the weakened bones snapping as he stretched it.

‘LIFE!’

Shrieked a distorted spirit, grabbing Griffith, and pulling him out of the cave.

‘GRIFFITH!’

Screamed Guts and Casca, both charging out of the darkness, as the swarm of spirits came for then. The spirits grabbed, fought, turned, snapped and lunged, going through Griffith, Guts and Casca, a sense of cold and pain taking their bodies with each passes.

‘Don’t give in, or they’ll consume you! Here!’

Said the Skull Knight, tossing his sword to Guts.

‘Ugh… What’s up this sword…?’

Said Guts, as the thorns on Skull Knight’s sword digged into his hand. He started swinging at the spirits, anger and frustration growing more and more, as it seeming like cutting through and punching water. Another spirit went towards Griffith, he gasped and convolved as the ethereal beast tried to take him. “NO”, he shouted in his mind, the apparition jumped towards Casca, sending a sense of agony and horror to her.

‘CASCA, NO!’

Screamed Judeau from the cave. He and Pippin left cave, the spirits quickly started surrounding then both, swirling and snapping at then.

‘Keep on fighting, Branded Ones! Keep on struggling, Struggler! Keep on denying the darkness, Denier, for this eternal fight the five of you now face can only be overcome by enduring.’

Said the Skull Knight. And endure, they did. The five branded grunted, attacked, agonized, suffered, fought, giving all they still had left, until all went dark to then.

‘You must grow stronger, if you five wish to survive what’s to come.’

All five quickly woke up with the Skull knight’s words, and Godo’s digging echoing from another side of the cave, their chests heavy and cold, as if they woke up from a nightmare. They were back at the cave, laid against the walls.

‘The spirits will be kept at bay by the fire, and gone by sunrise. Stay inside. They cannot come in. The energy of the elves that once roamed here’s still strong. Likewise, what saved the Struggler and the Denier from death was the elf dust the child had.’

Said the Skull Knight, heading for the entrance.

‘Wait! Can you at least say if there’s a way for us to heal Griffith?’

Asked Casca, getting up.

‘Nothing concerning the Denier is certain anymore, Branded. His entire life was woven to the moment he would ascend into the position of the King of Ambition, and yet, he’s still Griffith. The Brand of Sacrifice in him demands every last drop of blood and piece of flesh of his to be taken by those of darkness, and yet, he lives.’

Said the Skull Knight, turning to the group.

‘You can feel it, can’t you, Denier? The remaining pieces of the destiny you refused to trod. You may have broken the wheel of Causality, but you didn’t erase it, and it can be mended. So heed to my warning, Denier, for the God Hand will stop at nothing to have you among then, or among the dead. They fear you now.’

Griffith and Guts understood the Skull Knight’s words. Though not made real, Femto still existed within him. ‘It was real, that vision… So Casca’s…’, Guts though.

‘There’s a place, of magic and wisdom. The witch that lies there might be able to give you the answers you wish. Keep on struggling, Struggler, now you struggle for the lives of all who defied death alongside you. Keep on denying the darkness, Denier, now you carry the power of choice, so choose wisely, least the King of Ambition uses your soul as a crown. Until we meet again, Branded Ones, Struggler, Denier.’

And the Skull Knight left the cave.

‘Oh, fucking hell, AT LEAST GIVE US SOME INSTRUCTIONS!’

Shouted Guts, annoyed, but all he heard from Skull Knight was the hooves of his horse, disappearing in the night. All stayed quiet, the rain, the spirits outside, roared and called outside.

‘So… What now? What do we do…?’

Asked Judeau, looking at the floor, just as lost as everyone else. Casca sighed, her eyes started to tear up, looking at her lover and leader:

‘Guts… look… I need to stay with Griffith! Look for the place that… thing talked about! You must still wish to search your own dream, isn’t it? Your own battles… You’re just like him, so I kn…’

But she was cut off again. Guts hugged her, his right arm keeping her close.

‘I love you, Casca! I wanna hold you both thousands of times! You don’t have to choose, I’ll stay here, with my brother, my love, and my child!’

Said Guts, his face buried sweetly on her neck. Casca was shocked. Griffith started to move his hand, as if he was writing on an invisible notebook.

‘Paper!’

Said Rickert, going to his bag, getting a small notebook and a thin piece of charcoal. Griffith took the coal, laid the notebook on the stump of his left arm, and slowly, somewhat wobbly, wrote down on the paper, and showed Casca, Pippin, Judeau, Erica and Rickert the paper. “Casca is pregnant with Guts child.”, was written in the paper in a rustic handwriting. All were stunned.

‘How? How did you… Know?’

Asked her, scared of what the general knowledge of her situation could cause.

‘Doesn’t matter! What matters is that I’ll stay, stay with Griffith, stay with you, to the end.’

Said Guts, letting go of Casca, and kissing her. He didn’t want her to know of Femto. Neither did Griffith, not with his knowledge of what the King of Ambition would do to her.

‘You said you didn’t wanna hang on some else’s dream again.’

Said Casca, remembering their conversation after their first act of love.

‘And I don’t. This is another situation entirely. I chose this battle! You weren’t up there, Casca! You didn’t hear what those demons were offering him. All Griffith ever wanted, at the palm of his hand, and he chose to die with us! After he pretty much gave up on the dream he spent his entire life fighting for, for our sake, I can’t just leave him to waste away… Not again…’

Said Guts, getting up. He came towards Griffith, held the frail, thin stump of his left arm:

‘… What I said to them stands, Griffith! Deep in that darkness you’re lost in, know that I’ll never desert you. I’ll find the answer…’

Guts pulled Griffith towards him, hugging him. Griffith didn’t know what to think:

‘…The sacrifice of your dream was not for nothing. In the name of all who are not with us, Gaston, even Corkus, I promise to save you, as you saved me, and the love of my life, from that hell-hole. I promise you this, till the day that I die! Thank you, Griffith!’

Said Guts, and Griffith felt a single tear dropping in his shoulder. Griffith stretched his arms, meekly embracing Guts, “It was worth it”, he said to himself, his eyes filled with tears. “It was worth it”.

‘So, I guess we have the path for us, isn’t? When do we start?’

Asked Judeau, taking a knife from his boot.

‘You wanna come with us, Judeau?’

Asked Casca. Judeau played with his knife on his fingers:

‘The day Guts was about to leave the Hawk, I told him how I’m not the best in anything, so I decided to serve the best. And now, the hundred man slayer, the best swordsman I ever known, is going on a quest to save his best friend. Why shouldn’t I join? And besides, that giant skeleton said it himself; those things out there are going to hunt us all down until we’re dead. I can’t stay in this cave forever, so we might as well stay together. It worked twice now.’

Said Judeau, his calm, easy-going domineer coming back, after the moments of despair.

‘And you, Pippin? Will you come?’

Asked Guts.

‘Of course!’

Said Pippin, standing up.

‘I’ll go too!’

Said Rickert, standing alongside Pippin.

‘Rickert, these freaks we’re about to face are far beyond the worst battles the Hawk ever fought before! We can’t count on Zodd, or that skeleton coming to save us every time. It’s best you stay.’

Said Casca, worried for the youngest Hawk.

‘No. There were my brothers too! Griffith is my leader, my friend, as well. Please!’

Said Rickert, serious. Pippin put his hand on the boy’s shoulder, giving a warming nod.

‘Very well then. For now, we rest. By the end of the month, we part.’

Said Guts. The fire pit sparked and turned, its flames dim, but alive, like the Hawks hopes. Doubt, fear, wonder and questions hovering over them as they finally slept.


	7. The Black Hawks Fly

‘WAKE UP, HAWKS! The boy and I have some things for you!’

Said Godo, waking everyone up by hitting two iron pots together. The Hawks had gotten used to being woken like that for the last few weeks. They got up, somewhat still tired, Griffith being supported by Guts. Their followed the old blacksmith into his forge, seeming Rickert and Erica tighten the nuts on an odd piece of metal he’d being working on since they got there.

‘Stayed up all night again, Rickert?’

Asked Judeau, seeming light bags under the young boy’s eyes:

‘Couldn’t sleep. Came to finish this, help Godo with a few things, and I found some old weapons of his, put them together, made a few improvements, got yelled by Godo for “putting too much gunpowder”…’

‘And you did!’

Said Godo, sharply.

‘… Anyways… Here, Guts, put it on!’

Said Rickert, revealing what it was. A prostatic arm, made entirely out of very thick steel, with a small crossbow on top of it. Guts, a bit apprehensively, put the left stump of his arm on the straps, and Rickert pulled the straps and locks tight.

‘It’s magnetized, so you can hold a sword with it. The crossbow can shoot up to twenty bolts before needing to load with this crank, and there’s one last thing on it, a surprise from Erica! That’s for later though; it’s not a good idea to use it indoors.’

‘Groovy.’

Said Guts, now more easy with the idea of a metal arm. “He was always heave handed anyways…”, Griffith though.

‘Here are the weapons and armors you’ve asked! Going through a man’s goods in trade like that, taking all you want, and even taking my wagon…’

Said Godo, dragging a small cart with five sets of armors, all black, weapons, cloaks, and a large, closed box.

‘We’ll come back to pay everything when we can.’

Said Judeau, smiling. Godo frowned:

‘Of course you will… That’s why people say mercenaries are not much better than bandits!’

‘Say, why all the black?’

Asked Erica, looking through the armors.

‘The things we’ll be up against are in the darkness.’

Said Guts, thinking in the reddish, lightless sky of the Eclipse. They all put on their new armors, testing the fit. Pippin took the war hammer in the cart, satisfied with the weight. Judeau took the set of throwing knifes and daggers, checking the edges and balance. Casca took the bastard sword, feeling it lively in her hands.

‘This is for you. It’s not my best work, but is strong enough for the path. So?’

Said Godo, handing Guts a long claymore. If felt a bit too light for his liking, but appreciated the effort of Godo regardless.

‘And finally… Griffith…’

Said Rickert, somewhat excited. He opened the box on the cart. Inside it was an set of armor and a sword. The armor was of a very polished steel, reflecting the fire of the forge. The helmet shaped like a hawk’s head, the torso had a winged shaped shoulder pauldron and two polished bronze hooks shaped like wings, and on it, a cape was hooked, with the Sigel of the Band of The Hawk on it. The sword, single edged and curved, had a basked hilt made of bronze, shaped like a cluster of feathers. Alongside the armor, there were five Band of The Hawk pins, all polished bronze.

‘I hate flashy things like this. The pauldron is going to snap in the first day of battle, someone will step on the cape, tripping the user, the hilt of the sword is unnecessarily big, the helmet is way too round, any blow on the top is going straight to the person’s neck, the visor is too big to protect the eyes. But the boy’s heart was in the right place, I guess.’

Said Godo, looking at the set. Rickert touched the armor’s cape:

‘I wanted for when we reach the place were Griffith can be healed. When the person this armor is meant for can put it on, the world will see that the White Hawk flies again. The pins are for the cloaks, a signed that the Band of the Hawk yet lives.’

Griffith reached his hand and petted Rickert, moved by the young boy’s actions. Casca was the first to take the pin, and put it on her black cloak, on top of the Brand of Sacrifice, then Judeau took his pin, then Pippin, Rickert, and finally, Guts.

‘So, let’s test the surprise in this arm!’

Said Guts, putting the pin on his cloak.

‘UGH!’

Grunted Casca, touching her chest. Judeau squeezed his hand, Pippin swatted at his arm, Guts reached for the back of his neck, Griffith quickly frowned his forehead. The brands were bleeding.

‘Casca, Rickert, you two stay with Griffith!’

Said Guts, lifting his blade. The Hawks took their weapons and got out of the forge, Rickert, Casca and Griffith stayed just outside the door, looking around whatever was causing their brands to bleed.

‘He… Help me…’

Said a sweet sounding female voice. A woman came towards then, nude, with silky blonde hair, covered in blood. Guts ran to the woman, catching her as she fell.

‘Are you alright? What’s the problem?’

Asked Judeau, going with Pippin to Guts and the woman. Griffith looked at the situation, and as if something flashed in his mind, he realized what that woman truly was, frantic pointing at her.

‘GUYS! GRIFFITH IS TRYING TO WARN SOMETHING!’

Screamed Rickert.

‘I… I need… MEAT!’

The woman said, slashing at Guts, who blocked the attack with his steel hand. The woman jumped back, turning into the apostle that killed Corkus.

‘Sacrifices… meat…’

The apostle hissed, her legs and claws cracking. Judeau thrown two knifes at her, she dodged at, and jumped at Pippin, who hits her in the head with his new war hammer. She turned and jumped again, dodging the volley of bolts Guts started shooting at her.

‘THE DENIER!’

Roared the apostle, charging at the other three Hawks. Casca took her sword, and sliced at the creature, cutting one of her hand off. The apostle turned at Casca and Rickert, and pushed her to the side with with her tail.

‘Imagine how the angels are going to reward me…’

Said the apostle, taking Griffith with her other hand, opening the very large mouth.

‘GRIFFITH!’

Screamed Guts, now with his claymore at hand, charging at the monster, and cutting its other hand off.

‘Are you alright Griff…’

Said Guts, when the two of them are hit by the creature’s tail, throwing then to Godo’s store room. Griffith tried to drag himself out, when he noticed it something making a metallic sound, a huge slab of iron coming down on him. Guts got up, and held the metal before it could hit Griffith, seeming at it was. With a grin of satisfaction, he pulled the hilt up, rose the very long sword over his head, and dropped at the charging apostle, cutting it in half.

‘Hey Godo! I didn’t want to sound ungrateful, but that other sword is just not my thing! Too light, I couldn’t feel the edge balance… But this one…’

Guts said, showing the group his new sword. Godo was left speechless, seeing someone taking that sword with one arm. “Is this a sword? I almost got flatten by this thing! It looks like a huge hunk of iron!”, though Griffith, being lifted up by Guts steel arm.

‘… This one is just right! Mind if I keep it?’

‘Go ahead. It’s called Dragon Slayer, made for a lord years ago, when a king ordered a sword that kill a dragon! Almost got myself hung to dry for it! The sword was unusible... But that’s the thing; dragons are dragons because humans can’t beat then… Or so I though, until a few seconds ago…’

Said Godo, never thinking anyone could wield this meaningless piece of iron.

‘The others… will come… The angels… d-demand t-th-the Deni…er’s blood…’

Said a screechy voice. The apostle, though cut cleanly in half, was still alive.

‘Hey Rickert, how does that surprise work again?’

Said Guts, looking at the bleeding monster, handing Griffith to Casca. A bloodthirsty, sadistic grin in his face.

‘Point at the target, and pull the metal part at the base.’

Said Rickert, covering his ears. Guts didn’t knew what was going to happen, but already knew the apostle was done for:

‘Do me a favor, bitch: when you’re back in hell, tell those four fuckers the Band of The Hawk send you there!’

Said Guts, giving a quick pull at his arm. The hand gave way to a canon, detonating the gunpowder, and shooting the cannon ball straight into the apostle’s mouth, blowing her head completely.

‘Aweso… ow… Godo, you were right… Way too much gunpowder!’

Said Guts, feeling a slight snap on his shoulder. Pippin noticed it, grabbing Guts arm, and snapping the shoulder back in place.

‘UGH, FUCK! THANKS, PIPPIN! Ow… Well, one down, and seeing our luck up to this point, many more to go! Sorry about your yard, Godo.’

Said Guts, moving his arm around. After the commotion was resolved, Rickert and Judeau helped reorganize the stock room, Guts and Pippin threw the apostle’s carcass into the nearby stream, and Casca put the supplies into the wagon, the Band of The Hawk gave their goodbyes to Godo:

‘Thank you for everything, Godo!’

Said Casca, holding Godo’s hand.

‘Don’t mention it, girl. Need any repairs, you can come here, I’m not going anywhere! May you all find what you seek.’

Said Godo, letting go of Casca, and with Erica waving goodbye to the Hawks, entering in his forge. Casca got in the wagon, sitting in between Guts and Griffith, Pippin and Rickert sat across then, Judeau was at the driver’s sit. A crack of the reins, and the wagon headed towards the path. Casca held the hands of Guts and Griffith, doubt, but hope in her mind, as they headed for, what she, all of them, hoped to be a new start.


End file.
